Kanonhstaton: Dignity and Struggle Example of Dignity & Struggle: The 3rd Anniversary of Kanonhstaton From Arauco to Caledonia, Only Struggle Will Set Us Free! February 28, 2009 Today marks the third anniversary of the Reclamation of Kanonhstaton, "the Protected Place," in Caledonia, where a group of brave women and men decided to retake the struggle into their own hands, from centuries of shame, repression, humiliation, and insult. The action taken by the indigenous community of the Six Nations Grand River Territory (an hour and a half east of Toronto), was the only alternative to stop the construction of a massive residential complex, "The Douglas Creek Estates," set to be constructed by the edge of the reserve; a clear encroachment on indigenous territory. On that February 28, 2006, the cold air penetrated through to the bones... The cold; so profound and dense that is the "Canadian" winter. However, it was not an obstacle. The land and sky burned in Kanonhstaton, the heat of struggle expressed through the sacred fire, and life would begin to take its course to reclaim history their hands…. In those dark hands…Worn by time in the long wait…. Almost two months later, those actions would become more decisive; through an attempt of removal by police officials, the barricades were brought up. April 20th, 2006 was left written in the history of Six Nations, where the community stood up to repression and defended the Reclamation with their morale as their only weapon; site which has been maintained to this day. The Haudenosaunee, better known as the [Iroquois] Six Nations (composed of the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca and Tuscarora nations) determined their own destiny on that day. Indigenous nations from what is known today as Upper State New York, in the United States, and southern Quebec and Ontario in Canada. Having had to deal with the empires of the world, they have been able to maintain their identity (with superhuman effort) of what it means to be a Nation. The treaties between the traditional Iroquois Confederacy and the English Crown (1677), were treaties that were made on a Nation to Nation basis. However once created, the Canadian State as all the other states in America, slowly begin to negate the treaties, further encroaching on lands, which is where the long road of resistance begins for our peoples. Yes, it is in this country [Canada], so hypocritically correct, where the Queen of England is still our Head of State, and where the worst atrocities have been committed against indigenous Nations. We will never forget, the pillaging of ancient communities, reducing them to simple apartheid-like reserves, separating them from the immigrating colonies, through contagious illnesses imported from Europe such as measles and alcoholism. We will never forget, the kidnapping of indigenous children, taking them from their parents, in order to put them into religious schools with the purpose of stripping their identity, to suffer ill-treatment, physical and sexual abuse on behalf of Catholic and Protestant Church. Creating inter-generational problems, such as abuse and suicide, the latter which is a staggering three times higher than the national average. We will never forget the 1924 Coup d'état to the Iroquois Confederacy, legitimate ancient government of Six Nations, which was interrupted by RCMP personnel at gunpoint, to impose the control system that is the Band Council, responding to the interests of the State. Robbing them of their spiritual instruments and garments to latter be given to museums as mere cultural artefacts....Etc... Etc... Yes, these things have been done to our indigenous nations, in this immensely politically correct country, and much more; but identity has to make its worth and its dignity is reflected in its people. Despite the genocide, they were never overcome or assimilated... That is the existing importance in this part of the continent. Identity and Nation. They are an indissoluble part of a same body, which does not negotiate its sovereignty... Their constitution [Six Nations] is the Great law of peace that allows their unity as a people. This marks a clear position unto the Canadian State; a relation on a nation to nation basis with their traditional government, the Iroquois Confederacy Council, and is made to be respected by their territorial struggle. We have the living example of Kanonhstaton in "Caledonia", which went beyond borders, and is a national and international reference point in the struggle for dignity. This could be taken as an example for the indigenous nations of our America, especially those in the south where the concept of "integration" is incredibly emphasized (by states and "progressives" of the governments in turn). Integration that is nothing less than to be an appendix of the state, its institutions, and political parties (of any colour). Such offerings do not respect or allow the true essence of indigenous sovereignty, which is to be territorially, culturally and ideologically sovereign. We, on this third anniversary, would like to express our most profound admiration and affection to Six Nations; their people and their struggle. Brave men and women that have not only been loyal to their people and their ideals, but also have had the great heart to surpass borders, giving their energy to other brothers that suffer there ... Beyond the Andes... Their admiration to the ancient struggle of our Mapuche Nation, has touched us deeply. We want help carry this message to our people as a symbol of unity and strength, the great energy of our peoples here in the north that have been able to resist, once and a thousand times unto adversity, greed, and the breakdown that imperial colonialism has tried to set in their communities. May the sacred fire, which gives the energy to maintain the struggle, reach your hearts. THEY DID NOT OVERCOME US YESTERDAY, LET US NOT LET THEM OVERCOME US TODAY WITH LEMUN & CATRILEO WE WILL OVERCOME MARRICHIWEU!!!!!!!!!!!! Chile: No Bicentenary on Stolen Native Land!! The Women's Coordinating Committee Chile-Canada Email: wccc_98@hotmail.com

URGENT! Chilean Military Forces Attack the Mapuche Community of Choque Once Again...

Our peñi [brothers] of the Arauco-Malleco Coordinating Committee (CAM) and the communities of Choque have confronted the Chilean National Police in the Labranza estate, reclaimed by the communities of Choque in the area of Lleu-Lleu (Arauco).There are at least 8 policemen that have been injured, Bio Bio Radio informed unofficially earlier today. At least 100 officers of the Chilean State's police forces have been dispatched with the help of helicopters, raiding the Labranza estate, that under Mapuche territorial control. There have been ongoing confrontations to this minute, while our Weichafes [warriors] continue resisting. So far, our people have not been arrested or injured. This is a developing story.... -----------------------------------------------------------------------

The Resistance Moves Forward to the Liberation of the Mapuche Nation

October 12, 2008

No doubt the increase of mass support of the Mapuche cause could be seen, as yet another anniversary of the ill-named Conquest of America was commemorated in various parts of Wallmapu and cities throughout Chile. However, it has not been easy, nor has it been thanks to the paternalistic vision of a few non-Mapuche socio-political organizations that have little support in the Chilean people (who disinterestedly support us). In these ten years, the struggle of our people has increased and has advanced both qualitatively and quantitatively in our territory. What Mapuche leaders long ago couldn't believe is now much closer. This of course, despite the position of a few so-called leaders that are servile to the dirty interests of the state, with those who confront us and side with the enemy (the "yanaconas"). Others try to accommodate their speech with their petit-bourgeois Mapuche life, i.e. "integration Mapuche style." The fact is that the autonomy, territory, and liberation of the Mapuche Nation no longer just lies on paper, or in an euphoric speech made by a Mapuche leader; it is slowly becoming something palpable and shown to our enemies. To them, resistance is equal to terrorism, and the liberation of our people is to leave them out of our territory that has generated many millions of dollars for them. Nonetheless, this has been constructed with much effort, and no doubt that the credit should be given to a Mapuche organization, which is the Arauco Malleco Coordinating Committee of Communities in Conflict (CAM). Born in early 1998, its organizational tactics of putting things into practice have generated a change for a more consequent Mapuche movement. In concrete practice, it has shown the way from the symbolic reclamation of land to its productive reclamation, from judicial lawsuits to actual demands without being fooled, from the demand for land to the demand for territory, from negotiations to territorial control, and perhaps most valuable of all, from police repression to Mapuche resistance. These are without a doubt, the achievements that have made our people known everywhere, recovering the dignity of being Mapuche, which is perhaps the most important thing of all. Without being so well known, the organization quickly went on to be the vanguard of the Mapuche Nation, carrying out the most consequent struggle of our people, and left behind the polluted practices of leftist parties, to which many of our leaders pertained during the era of the dictatorship. In contrast, our political project is based on our elders, not in books or libraries. What other way could it be, when it was our elders who told us that our ancestors didn't have 300 hectares (as the title given by the Chilean State initially stipulated), but had 30 thousand hectares, and that communities today do not live on those lands, but were cornered by logging companies and large landed estates. The right to resistance, unto removal orders, unto the recognition of the Chilean Justice system, to go underground, to resist torture, jail, and repression undertaking the costs that have meant the lives of dignified weichafes [warriors] such as Lemun, and Catrileo, knowing they are not going to be the only ones, is the reason why in these ten years the CAM has shown that these are the right things to do. Today the Mapuche movement is a bit more broad, but fate has been cast and those who have confused or wronged its way will have their time; the struggle goes forward and will not be detained by incarceration, much less by blood. We have all our enemies on us seeking to remove us from their way, from their "economic development," which has not been easy despite the incredible amount of money wasted on technological surveilance to trap and detain our people. Their entire repressive apparatus, be it ANI, GOPE, SIP, DIPOLCAR, BIPE, INVESTIGATIONS, THE MARINE, DINE, FFAA and the TRIZANO Comando, is focused on the communities in conflict. Today they push harder, right when the struggle of our people is echoed in oppressed Chileans, who manifest their support and see that the Mapuche have done more than the self-proclaimed "liberators of the oppressed," without even seeking such a stature. A precedent has been established; neo-liberal capitalism will be confronted and resisted at any cost. Always with our people, because it is our people (and not just a few visionaries) that have resisted this "wecufe" called capitalism; it has been our elders, our women, our children, our Weichafe [warrior] youth that have resisted... Which of course frightens the owners of capital, the facsist estate owners, the politicians of this "pichi" of a Chilean state empire and that of Argentina. No doubt that October convened the oppressed peoples, and there is a continued awakening by non-Mapuche oppressed peoples on the necessity that the Mapuche be the ones confront this terrible enemy called capitalism. We say to them that our people walk slowly but surely; that the formulas are not in strategy or tactical textbooks, but in the necessity that afflicts our people. We know that we have our own philosophy, our own culture, which are worthy elements and perhaps make the most difference, but the necessity is the same. You will continue to hear and see repression and resistance, because the way of National Mapuche Liberation has spread to different Lof [community sectors]. The militarization, repression jail and murder of our weichafes [warriors] will not stop our People, because we have known pain and suffering ever since the arrival of the Spanish to the creation of racist Chilean and Argentinian states. Today more than ever, with our always clear and firm objective, with the way our Communities in Conflicthave taught us, we go forward towards National Mapuche Liberation. Pais Mapuche Distributed by: The Women's Coordinating Committee Chile-Canada [Toronto] Email: wccc_98@hotmail.com